Tips for choosing pearls

The most important point is Teri.
Next is the roll and color, then the shape and scars.

What are the evaluation items for pearls?

Pearls are gemstones produced by shellfish.
Therefore, no two facial expressions are the same.

There are six criteria for evaluating the pearl itself.
The value is determined by considering six factors: texture, wrap, color, shape, scratches, and size.

Shine

It represents the strength of the brilliance, and a pearl that shines strongly is said to have good quality. If we recommend pearls, this is the most important thing to consider. This is because anyone can see a shining pearl even from a distance and say, ``That pearl is beautiful.'' This shine changes depending on the uniformity of the nacre, the smoothness of the surface, the content of impurities, and the thickness of the roll. A good bead is one that is strong enough to reflect your face.From a culture perspective,in order to produce the best quality pearls,the shell must be in good condition before the nucleus is insert down,and excellent nucleus insertion techniques are also required.Also,there must be no major damage to the Akoya oyster for 8 to 18 months from the time the nucleus is inserted until the pearl is removed.However,management should not be too kind to shellfish.

Roll

Roll refers to the thickness of the nacre layer. Calcium carbonate is secreted within the shellfish's body, and nacre is formed little by little. Pearls with a thick nacre layer are said to have good rolling, and a well-rolled pearl will have a deeper color, increase in size, and slow down deterioration over time. The layers of thick mother-of-pearl layer are woven together to create the deep color and texture unique to pearls.

Many appraisal agencies consider that if the thickness of the nacre layer is 0.4mm or more on one side, it meets the criteria for ``Hanadama'' wrapping.

Color (glow)

Pearls of various colors are produced by the management of shellfish, the sea, and humans. The mother-of-pearl layer is made of the same ingredients as the shiny underside of the shell, so it is not as pure white as the higher-quality ones, but instead has a silvery-white color with a slight pink glow. On the other hand, beads with a thin nacre layer look whitish because the core inside is visible.

At Yamashita Pearl, we classify colors into white, pink, gray, yellow, brown, and blue-pink, and we recommend blue-pink as the most beautiful color. The reason for this is that while the popular pink color can be toned to some extent through processing, blue is a precious color that cannot be toned unless it is contained in the pearl itself. In addition, even if it is not blue-pink, it is a good bead if you can see multiple colors in one bead.

Shape

Broadly speaking, there are two types: round (perfect circle) and baroque (distortion) . Since it is not an industrial product, strictly speaking, perfectly round beads do not exist. The closer to a perfect circle, the more expensive it is, but it is also said that a baroque with good roll and a strong texture is more beautiful and more expensive than just a round one. Shape tends to be judged as a unique characteristic, and baroque pearl accessories made only from irregularly shaped beads are gaining popularity.From the perspective of aquaculture ,whether the seeds are perfectly round or distorted can be determined by a little technique when inserting the colors.

Seratch

Refers to the protrusions or dimples on the surface of the pearl. Pearls grown inside shells have scratches, which are proof that they are genuine pearls and are also unique. However, it is better to have no scratches. In addition, in order to become thickly wrapped, it is necessary to stay in the sea for a longer time, which increases the chance of scratches appearing.

Size

Akoya pearls cultivated in Japan are approximately 2mm to 10mm in size. The Yamashita-Pearl farm produces a wide variety of pearls, from small beads of 3 or 4 mm, which are not often produced in Ehime, to large beads of over 10 mm.

It is written in 0.5 mm increments, so if it is written as 7.0 mm, it means 7.0 to 7.4 mm. If all other evaluation criteria are equal, the larger the item, the more rare it is and therefore the higher the price. However, from a design point of view, larger items are not necessarily better, as there are some items that are better suited if they are smaller, and items that are not suitable if larger items have too much presence.